Samsung Galaxy S5 Android 5.0 Lollipop OTA Update Released for Bell Canada Users

Bell Mobility has announced that all the Samsung Galaxy S5 owners on their network will receive today the official Android 5.0 Lollipop OTA Update. If you’re one of them, then keep a close eye on your smartphone and confirm the upgrade process right as the Lollipop notification appears in order to get all the new firmware files installed successfully.

The Android 5.0 Lollipop comes with tons of visual changes such as the Material Design UI, and the new more bloatware-free TouchWiz. Besides all the visual changes you will also be getting some software improvements that will finally offer all Galaxy S5 users the possibility of running a better Android environment.

Some of the most important new features added by Samsung and Bell through Android 5.0 Lollipop are as following: intelligent notifications ranking, Priority Mode, a much more colorful and vibrant interface due to Material Design environment, lock screen notifications control, new native Battery Power Saving mode, improved Security, Device Sharing, new Quick Settings toggles, better Wi-Fi connectivity, BLE peripheral mode, Android RunTime (ART) fully integrated that has replaced Dalvik, improved Google Now, Settings search support, more languages supported, and multiple other great new things.

Bell is rolling out Android 5.0 Lollipop update via OTA (over-the-air) and through Samsung KIES software for all the Samsung Galaxy S5 users on their network. Note that the new update has the firmware version set to G900W8VLU1BOB3 and it will arrive for all Galaxy S5 devices that are currently running stock Android 4.4.x KitKat. If your device has suffered any modifications to its software, then the official update will not be rolled out for it and you will have to use other methods in order to install official Lollipop firmware on it.

Android 5.0 Lollipop is rolling out for Bell Samsung Galaxy S5 in phases, which means that not all users are going to get the new firmware at the same time. Don’t worry if the Lollipop update notification doesn’t arrive today for your device, it will most probably arrive in the following days. Tell us in comments if you’ve received the new Android 5.0 Lollipop G900W8VLU1BOB3 Update and, if you did, then feel free to let others know how your Bell Galaxy S5 under Lollipop feel is after a few hours of testing.

Android 5.0 Lollipop OTA Released for HTC One M8 Verizon Wireless Variant

If you own the Verizon Wireless version of the HTC One M8, you should expect to see a notification about the Android 5.0 Lollipop OTA soon as the carrier has now started seeding the Lollipop update to its customers. Verizon Wireless is the third US carrier to have rolled out the OTA update after Sprint and T-Mobile. The only major US carrier variant of the One M8 still stuck on Android 4.4.4 KitKat now is the AT&T version.

The update is now available via the OTA route, so you will be able to download and install the update on your HTC One M8 without having to connect it to your computer. Before you check for the OTA update, we suggest you connect your One M8 to a Wi-Fi network as you will not be allowed to download the update over cellular network as it is a major update. If an update notification hasn’t show up yet, you can also check for the update manually by going to Settings – About Phone – System Updates – Check for Updates. The full change-log of this new update can be found here.

The Android 5.0 Lollipop update for the HTC One M8 includes a number of changes like a new material design user-interface, 64-bit ABI support, ART runtime for improved performance, new notification panel with quick settings, updated lock screen, redesigned recent apps overview with card and grid view options, Band 4 roaming enabled, enhanced 3-way calling feature, a few other improvements and bug fixes. The most significant improvements included with the Lollipop update have to do with device performance and responsiveness, battery life, and of course the new updated Sense 6.0 UI. The newer Sense 7.0 UI that debuted with the One M9 will only be arriving to One M8 users later this year as part of another Lollipop update, possibly based on Android 5.1 or Android 5.2.

HTC had earlier promised to release the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for the One M7 and One M8 flagship smartphones within 90 days of its release from Google. Unfortunately, the company couldn’t keep up its promise as only select HTC One M8 models could be updated to Android 5.0 Lollipop within the promised 90-day timeframe. For the Verizon One M8, the update has arrived well beyond 100 days after Android 5.0’s initial release last year.

Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE I9505 Android 5.0.1 Lollipop Update Goes Live for Download

The official Android 5.0.1 Lollipop Update firmware files for the International Galaxy S4 LTE I9505 have been spotted at Android-Hilfe.de forums earlier today and, you can download them right away. It means that Samsung has pushed out the new Lollipop firmware files in Germany and we can safely say that more countries will be getting the update in the following weeks.

Android 5.0.2 Lollipop for Galaxy S4 LTE I9505 should bring the Material Design UI, Smart Lock, new TouchWiz features with some bloatware being trimmed down slightly, Device Sharing features like Multiple Users, Guest User support and Screen pinning. Some other major changes should be spotted in the camera software and throughout the entire UI of your phone.

The Galaxy S4 LTE I9505 should be much faster and the TouchWiz has to be smoother than it was on KitKat, as it now uses the better Android Runtime (ART) technology instead of the old Dalvik for running applications. The build date of this Android 5.0.1 Lollipop firmware it seems to be January 29 2015 which means that Samsung is toying with this launch for a while now.

If you’re based in Germany and you own a Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE with I9505 as its model number, then you should keep an eye on your phone’s notification screen as the update might be released really soon. Also, note that this update firmware might also be a leaked version and not a final OTA Update build, which is why only the tech-savvy S4 users should try to flash the new Android 5.0.1 Lollipop firmware using the Odin application.

MWC 2015: Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are Finally Official, Full Specs and Availability Revealed

After months of rumors and speculations, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge are finally here. Both smartphones were officially introduced by the South Korean phone maker earlier today during their Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event held in Barcelona.

Even though the rumors and reports that surfaced online over the past few months have already painted an almost complete image of the Galaxy S6, it’s still nice to have some official confirmation. Well, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge are exactly how the rumors portrayed them.

The two smartphones are identical when it comes to hardware specifications, the main difference between them being the display. The Galaxy S6 comes with a standard flat 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with Quad HD (1440 x 2560) resolution and an amazing pixel density of 577 ppi. Galaxy S6 Edges’ screen has the same size, same technology, same resolution and pixel density, but it’s curved over both edges of the phone.

It seems that the rumors were true after all and we won’t get an Snapdragon-powered Galaxy S6 this year. Sources in the industry claim that even though Samsung planned to launch a Galaxy S6 variant powered by a 64-bit Snapdragon 810 chip, the South Koreans had to ditch it because of overheating issues.

Both Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge are underpinned by the same 64-bit Exynos chipset based on a new 14 nm manufacturing process and using an Octa-core configuration. We are dealing with quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 and quad-core 2.1 GHz Cortex-A57 processors and a Mali T760 GPU. The smartphones also arrive with 3 GB of DDR4 RAM and they are available with 32, 64 or 128 GB of native storage. Unfortunately, there’s no support for microSD card expansion.

Connectivity-wise, Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge arrive with LTE, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 4.1 Low Energy, NFC, microUSB 2.0, and IR blaster. The devices also arrive with a fingerprint sensor which, unlike the one used for the Galaxy S5 and other Samsung smartphone, is touch-based.

The new flagship smartphones run Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box, of course, customized with Sammy’s proprietary TouchWiz UI. Samsung’s custom skin has been redesigned to follow the Material Design guidelines, but you will still be able to enjoy the company’s innovative features such as Ultra Power Saving Mode, S Health, Themes, Private Mode, S Finder, and the new Samsung Pay.

The main camera has a 16 MP sensor with optical image stabilization, phase detection autofocus, and 4K video recording support. The user-facing camera has 5 MP resolution and Wide Selfie feature.

Both terminals are 143.4 mm tall and 70.5 mm wide. The Galaxy S6 is only 6.8 mm thin, while S6 Edge is 7.0 mm. Also, the Galaxy S6 weighs in at 138 grams, being 6 grams heavier than S6 Edge.

Samsung promised that Galaxy S6 will become available for purchase in 20 countries as of April 10, while Galaxy S6 Edge will make its market debut sometime in Q2 2015. There are three color options available for both: White Pearl, Black Sapphire, and Gold Platinum, while the Blue Topaz color option is exclusive for the Galaxy S6 and Green Emerald reserved for the Galaxy S6 edge. Unfortunately, Samsung didn’t say anything about the price, but if you read this from the US expect both devices to arrive at Verizon, AT&T, and Sprit at $199 on-contract.

Sprint Teaser Reveals Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge in All Their Glory Before Announcement

The Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge official announcement is now just about two days away. By now we know a lot about the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge but the final design still remains a mystery. US carriers started sending out official teasers recently that gave us a glimpse of the Galaxy S6 Edge’s dual-curved edge display. However, a new Sprint promotional image leaked on Reddit earlier today gives us our clearest look yet at the possible final design of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge smartphones.

The image shows off almost the entire front panel of the two upcoming Samsung Galaxy flagship smartphones. While we can’t tell much from the image, both the handsets appear to have rounded corners and a metallic frame on the sides which seems to be quite shiny. We also see the individual volume rocket buttons on the side of the Galaxy S6 Edge, which seems to confirm the ‘iPhone 6’ like design language of the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge. What does remain a mystery is if the back of the two devices will features glass like the recently leaked live pictures or is the two will come a metallic back (metal unibody) as was rumored initially. The homescreen seems to show off the new UI that the two smartphones will include, which doesn’t seem all too different from the Galaxy S5’s UI at first glance.

Sadly, aside from the differences in build materials, the Galaxy S6 still looks largely similar to the Galaxy S5. This is quite disappointing since we’ve been hearing from a long time that the Galaxy S6 will feature an all-new design that will not bear any resemblance to previous Galaxy flagship smartphones. With the codename ‘Project Zero’ we were hopeful that would actually be the case but the leaked image from Sprint promotion does make it seem a little disappointing. In fact, the front of the two new Galaxy S flagships seems to draw heavily from the Galaxy S5 than the Galaxy Alpha, Galaxy A-series and the Galaxy Note 4. We were expecting the Galaxy S6 design to be similar to these new devices but it looks like Samsung hasn’t concentrated much on the overall design on the front but only refined the sides and edges of its upcoming new flagship smartphone along the lines of the Apple iPhone 6 and the Apple iPhone 6 Plus.

Anyway, we don’t need to speculate much for now as everything will be revealed on Sunday when Samsung officially unveils the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge smartphones. The two devices are expected to include a 5.1” Quad HD Super AMOLED display, Exynos 7420 64-bit chipset, 3GB RAM, 32/64/128GB internal storage, 20MP rear camera with optical image stabilization, 5MP front-facing camera, and a lighter version of TouchWiz based on the latest Android 5.0.2 Lollipop version.

New Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet Android 4.4 KitKat Update Rolling out at Verizon

The folks at Verizon don’t have too many tablets in their portfolio, but if you grabbed the Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet from them you should check the notifications bar for a software update. Big Red announced on their support page that a new Android 4.4 KitKat update for Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet is now being pushed to users.

Since the device was already running Android 4.4, the KitKat-specific goodies such as transparent status and nav bars, white status bar icons, immersive mode, cloud printing, full screen album and movie art in the lock screen, or color emoji support were already available to the users. The new Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet Android 4.4 KitKat update comes to optimize the touch sensitivity, to improve the performance for the users who chose to encrypt the device, and to enhance Talkback support. It also includes minor UI tweaks such as new fonts, icons, and layouts.

The new software update is being pushed to users in phases, so it might not hit your tablet right away. I remind you that when your X2 Tablet becomes eligible to receive the new firmware, you should be able to notice a system update message in the notifications bar. If the system update notification failed to appear, you would also want to check for the update manually under Settings > About device > Software updates > Check now. Still no result? Then it means that you will have to wait a few more days.

The new Android 4.4 KitKat update for Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet has software version 23.0.1.E.0.208. Verizon failed to reveal the size of the update, but we are recommending you to download it using a Wi-Fi network to avoid unwanted data charges.

Galaxy S5 Mini Lollipop OTA Update to be Released in April

Android 5.0 Lollipop has been already officially released for most of the high end Samsung branded devices out there, which means that from now we should see further OTAs rolled out for the budget friendly and mid range Android powered smartphones. And among these devices we must mention the Galaxy S5 Mini, which will apparently receive the Lollipop treatment starting from April 2015.

Of course, other companies and manufacturers already pushed Lollipop OTA for their mid range handsets (for example Motorola for its Moto E smartphone), so as usual Samsung is somehow left behind. Anyhow, the Android 5.0 updates will be released starting from Q2, as the firmware will then embrace almost all the Samsung branded phones out there.

Now, according to Samsung France the Galaxy S5 Mini will start receiving official Lollipop notifications starting from April. Of course, the exact release date is still unclear as Samsung didn’t mention something to rely on. However, keep in mind that the general time line is set for Q2, so the OTA might be pushed out even in June.

Moreover, as we already know, the Lollipop firmware will be rolled out in phases and gradually, just like any other OTA launch. Thus, your Galaxy S5 Mini might embrace the Android 5.0 flavor sooner, or later – the notification will be displayed automatically on your device, while you can manually check for updates by heading towards “menu – settings – about phone – software version – check for updates”.